TRAI takes strong action to combat spam calls in India, over 13,000 entities register for message traceability measure

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken several decisive steps to tackle the ongoing issue of spam calls and SMS, reporting significant progress in reducing complaints and enhancing message traceability.

In a move to clamp down on unauthorised promotional calls, TRAI issued directives on 13th August 2024 mandating stringent actions against violators. Penalties include disconnection of telecom resources, blacklisting for up to two years, and bans on new resource allocations during this period.

As per the regulatory body, these measures have shown promising results, with complaints about spam calls reducing steadily. Access Providers reported 1.89 lakh complaints in August 2024, which dropped to 1.63 lakh in September (a 13 per cent reduction) and further to 1.51 lakh in October (a 20 per cent reduction from August).

To improve the traceability of promotional messages, TRAI implemented a new directive on 20th August 2024, requiring that all message trails from senders to recipients be trackable by 1st November 2024. While technical solutions have been introduced by Access Providers, an extension until 30th November 2024 has been granted to allow for upgrades and chain declarations by Principal Entities (PEs) and Registered Telemarketers (RTMs).

Moreover, the TRAI stated in a release that awareness initiatives have been launched to educate stakeholders on these measures. Webinars have been organised in partnership with major telecom operators, such as Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, involving over 1,800 participants from government bodies, financial regulators, and other sectors. Another webinar, scheduled for 25th November 2024 in collaboration with Tata Teleservices, will involve representatives from organisations including Nasscom and the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment.

These efforts have led to the registration of over 13,000 Principal Entities with Access Providers, with further registrations progressing rapidly. Access Providers have issued warning notices to PEs and RTMs yet to comply with the new requirements, advising them to declare their message chains promptly. Any non-compliant messages will be rejected.